Steven Berkoff | WatchedThis
Steven Berkoff
Acting
Biography
Steven Berkoff (born Leslie Steven Berks; 3 August 1937) is an English actor, author, playwright, theatre practitioner and theatre director. As a theatre maker he is recognised for staging work with a heightened performance style known as "Berkovian theatre", which combines elements of physical theatre, total theatre and expressionism. His work has sometimes been viewed as an example of in-yer-face theatre, due to the intense presentation and taboo-breaking material in a number of his plays. As a screen actor, he is known for his performances in villainous roles, including the portrayals of General Orlov in the James Bond film Octopussy (1983), Victor Maitland in Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Lt. Col. Podovsky in Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) and Adolf Hitler in War and Remembrance (1988–89).
Filmography Movies
Acting
Beverly Hills Cop
Fast-talking, quick-thinking Detroit street cop Axel Foley has bent more than a few rules and regs in his time, but when his best friend is murdered, he heads to sunny Beverly Hills to work the case like only he can.
Rambo: First Blood Part II
John Rambo is released from prison by the government for a top-secret covert mission to the last place on Earth he'd want to return - the jungles of Vietnam.
Octopussy
James Bond is sent to investigate after a fellow “00” agent is found dead with a priceless Indian Fabergé egg. Bond follows the mystery and uncovers a smuggling scandal and a Russian General who wants to provoke a new World War.
Outland
On the sunless moon Io, Marshall William T. O’Niel goes toe-to-toe with the corrupt manager of a mining colony and his gang of roughnecks while investigating a rash of worker suicides.
Barry Lyndon
An Irish rogue uses his cunning and wit to work his way up the social classes of 18th century England, transforming himself from the humble Redmond Barry into the noble Barry Lyndon.
Legionnaire
Alain Lefevre is a boxer paid by a Marseille mobster to take a dive. When he wins the fight he attempts to flee to America with the mobster's girlfriend Katrina. This plan fails and he seeks escape by joining the foreign legion. As part of the legion he tangles with abusive lieutenant Steinkampf and bonds with legionnaires Luther, Mackintosh and Rosetti.
The Krays
Twins Ronnie and Reggie Kray are raised in east London, under the influence of their hateful but doting mother Violet. As they grow up, Ronnie's violent nature takes over, and Reggie follows his brother's lead. The two become notorious crime lords who rule over the East End club scene. But at the height of their power, the brothers veer into different lives, giving the older crime bosses a chance to reclaim what the Krays took from them.
Shadow of the Sword
Central Europe, early 16th century: two childhood friends, Martin & Georg, find themselves on rival sides of a religious war with both of them struggling to do the right thing.
Blitzed: Nazis on Drugs
The effect of Pervitin on Nazi Germany.
Fair Game
Max Kirkpatrick is a cop who protects Kate McQuean, a civil law attorney, from a renegade KGB team out to terminate her
Production
Brighton
A typical day in Brighton; two working-class couples are on a day trip to the beach. But Brighton is changing and the friends can’t keep up. A result is a vengeful act of violence that exposes the gaps and similarities between class, gender, and sexual orientations.
Metamorphosis
Steven Berkoff's iconic adaptation of Franz Kafka’s novella, which tells the tale of a traveling salesman who is transformed into an insect, is brought to life in this highly physical and visually striking production. Captured live at the Parco Theater in Tokyo, this landmark performance is in Japanese with English subtitles. Considered one of Berkoff’s masterpieces and performed multiple times since it first appeared in 1969, Metamorphosis combines elements of sound, physicality and minimalist design to recreate Kafka’s absurdist world on stage.
Metamorphosis
Steven Berkoff's iconic adaptation of Franz Kafka’s novella, which tells the tale of a traveling salesman who is transformed into an insect, is brought to life in this highly physical and visually striking production. Captured live at the Parco Theater in Tokyo, this landmark performance is in Japanese with English subtitles. Considered one of Berkoff’s masterpieces and performed multiple times since it first appeared in 1969, Metamorphosis combines elements of sound, physicality and minimalist design to recreate Kafka’s absurdist world on stage.
Metamorphosis
Steven Berkoff's iconic adaptation of Franz Kafka’s novella, which tells the tale of a traveling salesman who is transformed into an insect, is brought to life in this highly physical and visually striking production. Captured live at the Parco Theater in Tokyo, this landmark performance is in Japanese with English subtitles. Considered one of Berkoff’s masterpieces and performed multiple times since it first appeared in 1969, Metamorphosis combines elements of sound, physicality and minimalist design to recreate Kafka’s absurdist world on stage.
Metamorphosis
Steven Berkoff's iconic adaptation of Franz Kafka’s novella, which tells the tale of a traveling salesman who is transformed into an insect, is brought to life in this highly physical and visually striking production. Captured live at the Parco Theater in Tokyo, this landmark performance is in Japanese with English subtitles. Considered one of Berkoff’s masterpieces and performed multiple times since it first appeared in 1969, Metamorphosis combines elements of sound, physicality and minimalist design to recreate Kafka’s absurdist world on stage.
East
East is a 1975 verse play by Steven Berkoff, dealing with growing up and rites of passage in London's rough East End. The play was premiered at the Edinburgh Festival at the Traverse in 1975. The 25th anniversary production, produced by Steven Berkoff's East Productions and Marc Sinden and starring Tanya Franks, started at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley. The tour included the Edinburgh Festival and the Théâtre de Silvia Monfort, Paris. It opened at London's Vaudeville Theatre on 15 November 1999 where the DVD of the production was filmed in front of a live audience.
Shakespeare’s Villains
An adaptation of Steven Berkoff’s one-act play of the same name.
Metamorphosis
TV film of Steven Berkoff's stage adaption of Kafka's famous story in which a young man, who is the sole financial supporter of his family, awakes one morning in the form of a giant dung beetle and thereby becomes a nuisance to his family, who must now learn to rely upon themselves.
Coriolanus
"Set in the context of 1930s Fascism, Steven Berkoff’s reimagining of William Shakespeare’s final tragedy brings power to the masses as they turn against their ambitious leader, Coriolanus. This highly physical and meticulously choreographed production was captured live at the Globe in Tokyo."
Steven Berkoff's Tell Tale Heart
Steven Berkoff's own feature length interpretation of Edgar Allan Poe's original short story about a servant who plots to murder his master because of his 'vulture' eye.
Gallery
